Archaeology and the Mahabharata (Study)
by Gouri Lad | 1978 | 132,756 words
This study examines the Mahabharata from an archaeological perspective. The Maha-Bbharata is an ancient Indian epic written in Sanskrit鈥攊t represents a vast literary work with immense cultural and historical significance. This essay aims to use archaeology to verify and contextualize the Mahabharata's material aspects by correlating epic elements w...
Part 8 - Minor Weapons in the Mahabharata
Besides the regular weapons, there was a whole assemblage of odd objects that can not be exactly described as weapons, but were used in warfare. These include: 1. Fire-brands (ulmuka, alata) (III.12.43, 16.5, 264.43, 268.5; IX.43.28. X.7.48); 2. dry wood and grass, to be set on fire, and thrown at the enemy (III.16.7; VII.24.55); 3. linen-cloth, probably dipped in oil or ghee, and set aflame (V.152.7); 4. jaggery (V.152.3); 5. honey (V.149.78); 6. 7. ghee (V.149.78, 152.7); oil (V.152.3);
513 8. sand (V.152.5); 9. 10. dry-earth (V.149.79,152; VII.24.55) and the juice of Sarja or Sala (Shorea robusta) tree (III.268.4; V.152.3-7) all presumably heated and poured out from hollow horns (V.152.7) (sriga), and other receptacles and 11. pots full of poisonous snakes (III.268.4; V.152.4) to be emptied upon the enemy. The defences of Dwarka (III.165.7) and Lanka (III.268.4-5) were equipped with a few of these shoddy weapons, but almost the entire assemblage was gathered together by Duryodhana as he pitched his camp in preparation for the war (V.152.3-7). On the opposite side, Yudhisthira made similar preparations (V.149. 78-80). Both the sides had taken elaborate precautions to protect their base-camps by digging moats around them and stocking weapons, food and clothing. It is, therefore, more likely that this crude assemblage of weapons was meant to protect these base camps, rather than be used in actual warfare. By their very nature these items are more useful in defensive warfare, to protect fortifications and moats, cities and camps, rather than be carried into the battle as weapons of attack. It would be too cumbersome
= 514 to carry wood, grass, sand and cloth, containers with honey, ghee, oil and sarja-juice and even snakes onto the battlefield and still more difficult to empty all this on the enemy soldiers. Nothing, however, would be more effective and more terrifying than these when hurled from high fortified walls or across a moat. It is only once, during the entire Mahabharata war, that a few of these were brought out to the feild when Ghatotkaca pelted the Kaurava army with dry earth, earthen clods, wood and grass (probably dry grass set on fire), and even water, wind and fire (VII.24.55).